Bean, who is TxDOT's director of transportation, planning and development, told the council that the project includes a turnaround at Dominion Drive and the expansion of the now two-lane Ralph Fair Bridge to five lanes with a turnaround motorists can use without going through the traffic signal.

Because the 3.3 miles of one-way road sends the traffic in the opposite direction, TxDOT plans a bridge at Old Fredericksburg Road.

In the future, another bridge might possibly be built at Dietz Elkhorn, Bean said, especially with the opening of a community college in that vicinity.

“We plan to continue the improvements anywhere we have a two-way frontage road through Boerne, at least,” Bean said.

For now, the first phase includes $6.3 million for improvements at Ralph Fair Road and I-10. Phase two widens the frontage roads from Dominion Drive to Ralph Fair Road.

According to Bean, this portion of the project is expected to cost $17 million and lets September 2014. Further phases continue on out and are expected to cost between $25 million and $35 million, he said.

“We're considering closing the Ralph Fair Road Bridge during construction,” Bean said. “We'd save a significant amount of time, maybe a 50 percent reduction in time. The Ralph Fair Road project would take about a year without the closure and five and one-half months with it."

The bridge reconstruction is expected to begin in January.

In other business, the council approved the annexation of 10 acres at the northwest corner of Venturer and Keeneland in Kendall and Comal counties.

The city received an annexation petition from Ralph Fair Inc. on May 16. Residents from outside the proposed annexed area voiced concerns at four public hearings about the municipal plan, which allocates 10 Living Unit Equivalents (LUEs) for water connections.

In other action, the council declared the city-owned property, known as Executive Plaza, located at 8,000 Fair Oaks Parkway, as surplus and authorized a notice of sale. The city expects to have a bid opening Feb. 7.

The council approved the addition of a school zone on Dietz Elkhorn to the 28900 block of Chartwell.